LOGINGABRIELLE’S POVIt was obvious Anya wasn’t expecting that response from me by the look on her face.My eyes fell on a document in her hand. “What’s that?”She caught herself quickly, and handed it over to me. “This came in for you over a month ago. I had to hold on to it for safekeeping.”Hesitantly, I took the document from her.The paper felt heavier than it should have.My name was written neatly across the front, and beneath it was the name of a law firm I recognized.It was a divorce paper.My breath caught in my throat.I held on to it with more force than necessary, my fingers tightening around the edges as I opened it.The name at the top sent a chill down my spine.Damon Gravari was the petitioner.My eyes skimmed the page again, slower this time, like maybe I had read it wrong the first time.But the words didn’t change.Dissolution of marriage.I looked up slowly. “Why do you have this?”“For safekeeping,” she answered, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. “You’re we
GABRIELLE’S POVThe look on Damon’s face when I pulled away from him made me regret hitting him.He looked utterly confused.“Why would something happen to me?” he asked.My throat felt tight. “Because your lawyer was here and we spent the entire day signing your trusts in my name.”The confusion cleared from his expression.“I should have said something but I forgot I called him,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “I’m sorry, wife.”Now I felt even worse.A gasp escaped my mouth when he suddenly carried me in his arms bridal style and walked into the house.I wrapped my arms around his neck.“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips.“Taking my wife inside,” he said calmly.“You could have just walked like a normal person.”“I could have,” he replied, “but I missed you.”My cheeks warmed. ”You were gone for only the day.”“It’s still a day too long.”I smiled, and rested my head against his shoulder.The tension that had been sitting in my chest all day
DAMON’S POVBlood.It was splattered across the walls, streaking the floor. Rhys stood in front of it, an axe clutched in his hands.A body was lying face down on the floor.I had expected several things when I received my brother’s call.But nothing prepared me for this.I hesitated at the door.Rhys noticed and turned, revealing more blood across his face and chest. His eyes were wild and unrepentant, yet strangely calm.“Damon,” he said almost cheerfully. “You’re finally here, brother.”I could only stare at him, my mind struggling to reconcile the sight of my brother with the horror behind him.“What have you done?” I finally managed to ask, my voice low and shaking with controlled fury.He lifted the axe slightly and ran a hand through his blood-soaked hair. “I killed someone.““Of course you killed someone,” I snapped, impatience cutting through my shock. “I can fucking see that.”Rhys laughed.“You always overreact. Don’t tell me you’re mad. Mad is boring. This…” He gestured t
GABRIELLE’S POV I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face. Before I could even turn around to look, I knew the bed was empty. Damon told me he had a very busy day today. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling for a moment, stretching lazily as the memories from last night replayed in my mind. Heat crept up my neck. God. If someone had told me a few months ago that Damon Gravari would ask to make love to me, I would have laughed in their face. Yet here we were after everything, and somehow more intimate than we had ever been. My gaze shifted to the bedside table where a small folded note rested beside the lamp. A smile tugged at my lips as I reached for it. Damon might never admit to being the romantic type, but his actions said otherwise. He had developed a habit of leaving me these little messages whenever he had to leave before I woke up. I unfolded the paper. My smile deepened as I read the short message in his neat handwriting. I pla
DAMON’S POVAnger was the first emotion that hit the next morning.Actually, no.For the past few days, anger had been the only thing I could feel most of the time.I hid it well from Gabrielle because being in her presence gave me a sense of calm. With her, there was only peace, love, and warmth.But the moment I was away from her, the anger crept back in—stronger every day.It was becoming increasingly difficult to control after spending the last fifteen years feeling almost nothing at all.Now, it was like something inside me had finally woken up.And it was furious.I saw Father in my sleep every night, laughing and drinking with Rocco while they tore me apart piece by piece.Over and over again, the memories from my past played like a broken record.Oh, there were so many ways to kill Rocco.And I intended to enjoy every single one of them.I exhaled deeply and tried to clear my mind as I got out of bed.Gabrielle was still asleep when I finished getting ready for work.She was c
GABRIELLE’S POVI felt content just lying in his arms, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat while his fingers traced slow patterns along my back.We stayed like that for several minutes, the silence between us comfortable and warm.“I know this might be the wrong time,” I said eventually. “But… your sister. What happened to her?”Damon’s hand stilled against my back.The change was subtle, but I felt it immediately.His chest rose beneath my cheek in a slow breath before his fingers resumed their lazy movements.“She died three years ago,” he finally said. “Four in a few months.”I tilted my head slightly so I could see his face.His expression had gone thoughtful, his eyes fixed somewhere above us as if he were looking at something far away.“I stayed with Rocco for some years after our parents’ death,” he continued. “And he assured me that Alessia was living with Beatrice.”My stomach twisted. “He lied?”“Yes,” he answered. “He had no idea where she was. By the time I came back
GABRIELLE’S POV Damon had been melting my heart lately. He was already doing that before but it was way more frequent now. So when those words left his mouth, I didn’t hesitate. I felt his heartbeat race and his breath hitch as I moved my hands slowly up his body. My hands moved from hi
GABRIELLE’S POV Damon ended the call after Jared uttered those words. His eyes were back to their cold default and I could feel a sudden distance between us. My throat ran dry. “Damon—“ “You lied.” Fuck, I shouldn’t have lied if he was going to find out anyway. He threw my phone on th
GABRIELLE’S POV The urge to ask the meaning of the words he whispered died when his mouth found mine. Fireworks exploded in my chest and I melted, my knees buckling underneath me. His grip on my waist was the only thing holding me upright. I didn’t know how it happened but somehow, my clo
GABRIELLE’S POV My eyes rolled to the back of my head. A sudden rush of ecstasy tore through me I clenched around him instinctively and he groaned, his hands holding my waist in place. I thought sex would feel the same every time—tingles and sparks in your tummy as the tension builds into







